The PC way to deal with male nether region issues is to say, “Size doesn’t matter.” Turns out though, if you want to have a baby, size does matter. However, it’s not exactly penis size that men should be worried about. New research shows that the size of a male’s anogenital distance (AGD), may significantly affect male fertility. AGD is the length measured from the anus to underneath the scrotum. I know, not a fun measurement, but it may be an important measurement. According to research published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the typical AGD length is about 2 inches. Men who fall short of that two inches are seven times more likely to have a low sperm concentration and prenatal phthalate exposure may be to blame.

In the new study, researchers note that men with a shorter than average AGD length are more likely to have a sperm count of less than 20 million per milliliter. Considering that typical sperm counts range from 50 to 60 million sperm per milliliter, that’s a significant drop. Men with sperm counts in this low range are only half as likely to be able to get a partner pregnant as men with more typical sperm counts. During this study, the researchers only looked at sperm, not why an AGD length may be shorter or longer. However, earlier studies have shown that pregnant women exposed to phthalates may be more likely to give birth to sons with shorter AGDs. Phthalates are found in all sorts of products, such as perfumes, personal care products, shower curtains, vinyl floor coverings and much more. Phthalate safety (or lack of safety) is controversial, but with yet another problem on the potential cons table, it just seems wiser to avoid harmful chemicals altogether – especially when you’re pregnant.